Matchmaking: Rogue and Gambit
by Black-Rose23
Summary: Part 4 in the series. We know how Scott and Jean got together, but what about Remy and Rogue? Who brought them together? How did Rogue come to be so obsessed with matchmaking anyway?
1. Prologue

Matchmaking: Rogue and Gambit

Summary: Part 4 in the series. We know how Scott and Jean got together, but what about Remy and Rogue? Who brought them together? How did Rogue come to be so obsessed with matchmaking anyway? See the very first matchmaking story unfold as the legendary southern couple are brought together!

Disclaimer: X-men is not mine

Warning: AU, OOC, language

Pairing: Romy, slight Jott, Amyro, Joseph/Rogue, Belladonna/Remy

A/N's:

I'm afraid updates will be far and few between. Partly because I'm more focused on other stories at the moment, and also partly because I'm not interested in the X-men, X-men: Animated, X-men: Movie, or X-men: Evolution (basically just X-men period) fandom right now and haven't been for a few months. I'm aware of the long wait you have all undergone for this story, however, so I'll try to give it as much quality as possible.

**Prologue**

"Hey, Jean?" Scott questioned one sunny Tuesday morning. It felt nice to not have school anymore. To make matters better, working as an instructor in the institute meant no unnecessary trips to a college thousands of miles away unless he decided to leave. With Jean staying and lacking any real desire to drive so far and rarely see the people he'd come to think of as family, Scott decided to stay.

"Yeah?" Jean looked at him curiously, smiling at her boyfriend lovingly. It seemed so long ago they had first gotten together, all thanks to Rogue's matchmaking skills. Now, Ororo and Logan, Kitty and Piotr also enjoyed the coupled life, and it had all been thanks to the local matchmaking mutants, as Kitty had taken to calling them.

"I know this is kind of random..." Scott paused and thought about how to voice his question. Deciding to just blurt it out, not like it was anything personal, at least not for Jean, he looked at his girlfriend curiously. "How did Rogue and Gambit get together?"

"What do you mean?" Jean asked, pausing in her reading to truly give Scott her undivided attention.

Scott rested his head on his hand and looked boredly at the ceiling. "Well, I mean I know how almost everyone else got together. I helped with a couple of them, but how did Rogue and Gambit start? I never heard the story."

"Oh..." Jean bit her lip. In all honesty, she had no clue how the two came together either. She hadn't paid much attention to the southerner during her initial entrance to the X-men. As much as she hated to admit it, she had acted just as skeptical and cold toward the older mutant as Logan. In the beginning, only Xavier truly accepted Rogue's sudden change of heart.

Scott looked at his girlfriend. Surely she would know, right? He knew Gambit hadn't come until after Rogue, though not long after, and Jean had been one of the first students recruited by Xavier.

"To be honest, I don't know..." Jean looked at her hands, blushing in embarrassment and shame. Scott's eyes widened behind the glasses, and he frowned bewilderedly.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Jean sighed and turned away, shaking her head. It was too shameful to remember her past attitude.

"Well, if she won't explain it, I will."

Jean startled at the new voice, and Scott spun around, one hand on his sunglasses just in case it was an enemy. He relaxed, though only slightly, when he spotted the voluptuous blonde behind him. Groaning internally, Scott spared a brief glance at his scowling girlfriend before Emma tackled him in a strong hug, nearly suffocating him with her breasts.

The redhead felt her fists clench when she saw Emma shamelessly rubbing on her boyfriend. She didn't hate the blonde, but Jean was pretty sure what she felt came close. Why did Emma insist on flirting with Scott whenever popping in for a surprise visit, which seemed to happen far more often after the trip to her spa a few months previous.

"What? You know how they got together?" Jean asked skeptically, raising a brow and grabbing Scott's hand almost forcibly when Emma released him.

His hair was a mess, and his glasses slightly skewed, not enough to show his eyes though, but he seemed fine otherwise, if not a little disturbed by the whole episode. Jean huffed. He was probably getting used to the treatment, as Emma made it a habit to greet Scott like that every visit.

"Of course I do, silly girl." Emma smiled mockingly at Jean, sitting comfortably on Scott's other side. Jean guessed the younger boys already brought her things inside since she hadn't goaded Scott into doing it for her like last time. One time when she truly appreciated Emma's good looks and ability to ensnare almost any man within seconds. "I'm the one who got them together. Don't you remember, Jeannie?"

"Really?" Scott perked up. He looked hopefully at Emma, eager to hear the story. The blonde chuckled and ruffled his hair, scooting closer, too close for Jean's comfort, and almost cuddling against the younger man's side. Scott tilted away from her nervously, but otherwise he stayed in the same spot, too anxious to hear the story to bother with moving.

"Really," Emma said. "I still remember it like it was yesterday. Remy had just shown up at the mansion, and Rogue, while she'd been here for a while, still suffered the loathing looks from those already here."

Scott frowned curiously, questioningly. He wondered why anyone would not like Rogue. Sure, she could be a bit eccentric at times, but for the most part she was always nice and helpful. Certainly more so than Remy.

Emma chuckled upon seeing the expression and shook her head. "I see I'll have to explain a little about Rogue's past first. Rogue, you see, came to the mansion after leaving the Brotherhood behind. You may not know this, but she's adopted – by Mystique."

Scott's eyes widened upon hearing that, but he nodded for Emma to continue. He figured it must be something Rogue didn't mind anymore, otherwise he knew Emma would never tell him without her permission. The blonde brushed the hair from her eyes and leaned back, smiling fondly.

"There was another mutant here then, named Joseph. He was a handsome fellow and, as it just so happens, he was Rogue's."

Even Jean found herself leaning closer, curious to know the story she had been around for but had ignored due to her own negative emotions. Emma grinned when she noticed she had their attention and she cleared her throat, signalling the beginning of her story.

"It all began on a Tuesday..."


	2. Rogue

A groan resounded through the room as the sunlight filtered in, waking the unhappy mutant. The blankets shifted as the small figure moved away from the window, a well-manicured hand pulling the thick covers over a pretty face. Already, the sound of shuffling feet and loud yawns could be heard in the hallway, rousing the woman from any hope of further sleep.

Yawning, the auburn-haired woman stepped out of bed, stretching until her back gave a pleasant _crack_. Most of the students here, older or younger, did their stretching in the halls as they made their way to the bathroom. Rogue saw no point in that, however, as she liked to look good. Somehow, the sight of her cracking her back in the hall didn't sound too attractive to the southerner.

With one final groan of disapproval, and a glare at the unwanted sun, Rogue moved off the bed and entered her bathroom. Her room was one of the only ones with a personal bathroom, the professor's way of making her feel better during her stay here.

He might be trusting, but the professor wasn't stupid. He knew Rogue wasn't wanted by most of his students, even the young Jean distrusted the older woman, and he didn't doubt some of the trickier students would try things on her toiletries. The best course of action, he figured, to keep her hair from turning green due to hair dye in her shampoo was to give her a bathroom of her own.

Perhaps a little overdone, but what woman would complain about having a place to get ready all their own? It beat hearing the boys yell to hurry up and the incessant pounding that accompanied failure to comply.

Smiling at herself in the mirror, Rogue struck a few poses she'd seen models use in shoots. Nobody, not even her enemies in the mansion she now called home, could deny her attractiveness. Many of the boys, even those who constantly reminded her she had been the enemy for too long to be trusted, eyed her with lust when they thought no one was looking.

Only Logan showed a lack of interest in her, and Rogue guessed that was because he liked Ororo. Not that either would admit it, preferring to argue with each other over the most mundane topics. Often, the southerner wondered why nobody tried to get them together, but she supposed it made sense with Logan's temper. Few people would willingly stand up to Wolverine, and Rogue was one of them. One of the reasons why Logan respected the former terrorist.

Joseph waited downstairs for his girlfriend, smiling when he saw the southern belle descending the steps. Rogue never ceased to amaze him, and he felt more than pleased with his catch. He was attractive no doubt, but not to the extent that someone as beautiful as Rogue would stare at him with such a loving look.

The other girls in the mansion, except Emma who couldn't care less and rather liked Rogue, wondered why he would date someone who'd been the enemy. The answer, Joseph thought, was simple. He too had been ostracized, though the students tried to hide their discomfort with him. His powers resembled those of the malicious Magneto, and his accent didn't help, as it matched Magneto's when the terrorist mutant let it slip during moments of anger.

They felt he could be a second metal-controlling terrorist, and that caused great panic among the students when he first arrived. Even now, they treaded around him carefully, though the girls tended to flirt with him shamelessly. It had only grown worse since he and Rogue started dating, their desire to make the female mutant pay for her past crimes spurring them on to seduce him at greater lengths.

Just yesterday he found someone's panties in his drawer, and he thanked whatever gods existed Rogue had been gone on a mission rather than with him when he discovered the undergarments. Pretty pathetic, he thought, but the attention wasn't unwanted and so Joseph didn't particularly try hard to keep the women off him.

Rogue, a flirt herself, didn't seem to mind, so Joseph figured he could get away with it. Rogue, he knew, would never cheat on him, so he felt no desire to tell her to stop talking to other men. As long as she didn't complain about his chatting with the women, their relationship stayed a stable and rather fun experience for both involved.

Feeling lips on his own, Joseph let his thoughts vanish into more present, desirable fantasies. He wrapped his arms around Rogue's waist and led her to the kitchen where most of the occupants, which wasn't many, waited for breakfast to finish.

"Ugh! Can you believe what they're eating?" Emma asked, her arrogant tone traveling through the kitchen clearly. A few glared at her, but most ignored the rich blonde. They were used to her better-than-thou attitude by now, and her harsh words barely registered in their minds at this point. "Such fattening substances."

"Ah dunno, sugah," Rogue said. Though she didn't sound the least condescending, she received more glares from the occupants of the kitchen, and a few even took their breakfast into the sitting room to be away from her. "Ah like th' food, ya know? Reminds meh o' home."

"Hmph. I suppose," Emma sighed. She smiled at Rogue, patting the southerner's shoulder comfortingly when she saw the dark looks shot at her friend. It never ceased to amaze her how utterly hypocritical the students of this school could be, to preach for second chances and then refuse to follow through with those preachings when given the chance.

As Rogue said, though, they were young and scared. No doubt Rogue had been a dangerous enemy, harming many of their friends in battles prior to her change of heart. She'd even almost killed Logan with a deadly kiss, though she parted from him just before he would be fully implanted in her mind. Their anger was understandable.

"And what are your plans for today?" Emma asked, fixing herself a salad as Rogue helped herself to a few remaining pancakes. They settled down at the table, Joseph on one side of Rogue and Jean Grey on the other. The redhead squirmed in her seat and shot Rogue a tight smile, attempting to seem welcoming but failing miserably.

The southerner ignored the obvious distaste in her emerald-gaze and nodded once to the younger woman. The freshman turned back to her meal, obviously struggling not to leave the table.

It wasn't so much a hatred on her part, as it was an almost paralyzing fear of the mutant. Rogue had been the one person she never went against in battle because of fear alone. The idea of someone stealing her powers through touch alone terrified her, and the knowledge that Rogue would do something so heinous for someone evil only intensified her feelings.

The professor seemed content to trust Rogue, however. As he proved a stronger telepath than herself, Jean figured she would give the mutant the benefit of the doubt. That didn't change the fact she strongly disliked Rogue, and the southerner doubted it ever would.

"Ah dunno, was thinkin' o' shoppin' in town. What about you, sugah? Got a hot date or somethin'?" Rogue turned her full attention to Emma, effectively ignoring the uncomfortable redhead.

"Hah! As if I'd date any of these wannabes!" Emma adopted an insulted look, grimacing down at her lettuce. "No, dear, my tastes extend beyond the inbred morons of Bayville."

Jean made a disapproving sound in her throat. Rogue smiled at the redhead, resisting the urge to remind Jean that her "boyfriend" was a complete moron. She doubted Jean would appreciate it though, and as much as she hated the blond idiot, she wanted these students to trust her. Best to stay on their good sides, or at least as close to their good sides as she could get. For now, she'd keep her mouth shut on topics centering around Duncan Mathews.

Emma, unfortunately for Jean, was not so tactful. She glared at the younger woman with obvious distaste, already eager to fling more insults about the blond jock Jean considered good boyfriend material. Honestly, wasn't the redhead supposed to be intelligent? Why ever would she choose that dunderhead?

"Leave it be, sugah," Rogue chided softly. Emma looked at Rogue as though she were crazy, but she sighed and let the insults drop. Jean shot Rogue a half thankful, half upset look and quickly finished her breakfast. Oh, to feel grateful to the enemy, what an awful feeling!

"No, I too was planning on shopping," Emma stated simply, as though Jean had not just rushed off. Joseph remained quiet, knowing from experience the trouble he would be in for interrupting "women talk". "Unfortunately, we have a new student coming, though one our own age thankfully, and the professor asked me to be here when he arrives."

"Really?" Rogue raised a brow. She knew what was coming already. Emma hated being the one to show new students around, considering the job beneath her.

"Yes," Emma said dryly, "and I _hate_ to think that I'd be doing the job all on my own."

Rogue rolled her eyes visibly and laid down her fork. "Alright, sugah, Ah'll help."

"Really? Oh, thank you, Rogue! I'm sure you'll take to the new guy right away. He's from the south I hear. Well, I'll be at the mall in New York City. If you need me, you know my cell number."

Joseph coughed as Emma quickly moved away from the table. He glanced at his girlfriend, not sure he liked the idea of her showing the new guy around. He planned to be gone as well, and though he normally didn't mind Rogue flirting, the men she flirted with were never residents of Xavier's. He didn't like thinking she might entice some mutant who planned to stay for a while.

"You knew that was coming, love. Why did you accept?"

Rogue sighed and leaned against the white-haired man. "You know how Emma is, honey. She would've found some way t' trick meh inta stayin'. Ah might as well say yes now."

He wanted to protest, but Rogue was right. Emma would have found some way to beg, without actually begging, Rogue to stay behind and show him around. Easier to just get it over with in the beginning, quick and painless that way.

"Fine, I'll stay too then."

Rogue chuckled and eyed Joseph knowingly. "What's wrong, sweetie? You ain't jealous, are ya?"

"Of course not!" Joseph actually looked indignant at the mere thought. He sighed and wrapped his arm around Rogue's waist. "I just don't like the idea of you with another man, all alone."

"You got no reason t' be jealous, an' you know it too." Rogue leaned against her beau suggestively, chuckling as his eyes lit up.

"Well, maybe I need a little more convincing," he said, already standing and helping Rogue away from the table. He pulled her out of the room, ignoring her half-hearted protests that she hadn't finished breakfast yet. There was time to eat later, he decided, after Rogue had..._convinced_ him he needn't be jealous.

How great could this new guy be anyway?

A/N's:

Joseph is NOT Magneto in this. I'm sure many of you figured that out already, but just in case I thought I'd go ahead and make that double clear. He's just a mutant with powers similar to Magneto's.


	3. Enter Remy

The motorcycle pulled to a stop just outside the mansion. Looking up at the large house, the brunet felt his fingers twitch eagerly. No doubt this place was loaded to the brim with valuable objects, but he couldn't steal them if he planned to stay here for a while. Remy LeBeau was many things, but he wasn't stupid. He knew even someone as seemingly good as Professor Xavier would have a problem with the mutant he took in robbing him blind.

Besides, he'd come here for a new start. Life in the Thieves Guild was good, but Remy desperately wanted away from all the drama. His unwanted engagement to the beautiful but clingy Belladonna only aided Remy's plans to escape. If the assassin heiress ever found out where he was, Remy knew he'd have no choice but to marry her.

The mere thought of the M-word sent shivers down Remy's spine. As a player, he never cared much for commitment. That's not to say he had a problem with men who did marry, nor was he against the idea of falling in love, it simply wasn't for him. Simple as that.

"Well, Remy t'ink it be time t' meet da locals," he muttered. Kicking down the kickstand of his bike, he hopped off expertly, pouting briefly because no beautiful women had been around to see his "impressive" stunt.

The mansion loomed ahead, and Remy figured it would have frightened a lesser mutant. However, due to his family's occupation, they lived in a house almost as big, though not quite, as the school before him. He only felt eager to see what kind of beautiful women the professor had as residents here, especially if the rest were half as beautiful as that ebony-skinned woman who'd been with Xavier during his recruitment.

Just as he reached the last step, the doors swung open. Remy stepped back as a white-haired man stepped out, shooting him a passing glare before hurrying down the steps and out of sight. Remy blinked in confusion, baffled that he was already getting sour looks when he hadn't even started working his charm on the ladies yet. Oh well, he thought with a smirk, the poor guy probably already realized what would happen once Remy became a student. Maybe he was psychic.

"Don't mind him, sugah," said a beautiful southern voice. Remy turned quickly to see a gorgeous auburn-haired woman with white streaks and emerald eyes. "Joseph's just havin' a bad day."

Rogue chuckled and eyed the newcomer intrigued. She had to admit, he had the looks and no doubt he knew it, if the smug expression on his face was anything to go by. A player if ever she saw one; this could be fun, she decided with her own smug smirk.

"Bad day, eh? Remy hope y' no' havin' a bad day too, _chere_."

"'Fraid not, sugah, but you'll be th' first Ah tell if Ah do." Rogue winked at the smirking Cajun, gesturing for him to enter. Remy followed her inside, thinking, as he eyed her backside discreetly, he had made the right decision in coming here.

"Remy likin' dis school more an' more."

Rogue only chuckled in response, silently wishing she could say the same.

&&&&&&

Emma's prediction of Rogue taking to Remy proved more accurate than expected. By the time the two southerners had made it upstairs to look at the bedrooms, they had already established a tight bond and nicknames – pet names, Remy insisted, that had a certain bite to them.

"An' this'll be yer room, Swamp Rat," Rogue said, gesturing to the large bedroom.

Remy wiggled his brows in Rogue's direction, taking for granted that the girl hadn't freaked out over his eyes. True, women fell into bed with him regardless, but usually they refused to stand less than four feet from him outside of a bedroom. Rogue seemed to have no problem with his eyes, she even appeared slightly fascinated by them, if the intrigued glint in her own emerald orbs was any indication. She made no move to question him about the ruby red on black, however, and Remy felt grateful for the reprieve.

"When Remy get t' see your room, _chere_?"

Rogue rolled her eyes good-naturedly and huffed in mock-anger. "Ah told ya already, Swampy, Ah'm a taken gal."

"Dat never stopped Remy bef'r," he stated proudly. Rogue actually laughed this time, ruining her angry stance.

"Ah don't doubt that, sugah," she said, patting him on the shoulder. Remy pouted, not that he'd _ever_ admit to pouting, at the lack of attention. He had to admit though, he rather liked the fact Rogue wasn't immediately falling at his feet. It was a nice change of pace for the playboy.

"So...?"

"So what?"

"Y' gon' show Remy y' room o' wha'?"

Rogue chuckled at his seemingly innocent, if one could lok innocent while attempting to worm his way into a woman's bed, expression.

"Yo' incorrigable, Swamp Rat, ya know that?"

"Remy been tol'," Remy said with a smile. "So, got any good food 'round here?"

Rogue grimaced at the thought of northern food. Not to say good cooks didn't exist around here, it was just that the north tended to use less spice, which made the food bland in her opinion. Of course, the few times she cooked anything – anything that she knew for sure wouldn't involve a huge fire and the complete and utter destruction of the mansion – nobody could eat more than a bite, save a select few who could handle spice.

"If y' go fer th' bland taste, yeah," she said disappointedly. Remy also looked disappointed but perked up immediately.

"Well, lucky f'r you, _chere_, Remy known f'r his great cookin' skills. Remy hope dere be spices 'round here?"

Eyes alight at the prospect of food, good food too, Rogue wrapped an arm over Remy's shoulders and led him out of the room.

"Ya know, sugah, Ah knew Ah liked ya!"

She didn't even protest when he wrapped an arm around her waist.


	4. In Lust, Not Love

Emma chuckled as Joseph glared jealously at Remy. A week passed since his arrival, and so far he and Rogue appeared to have become good friends over the course of her tour the first day. Ever since he returned to find the two laughing together while playfully flirting, Joseph acted rude and downright snarky to Remy. Everyone could see he was jealous, and Remy looked as if he took great enjoyment in Joseph's obvious dislike.

The blonde woman almost regretted not showing him around herself, except that he made his fortune through thievery and she considered herself above that level. If a man was to be hers, he had to be rich naturally. It was just the way she worked, and of course no poverty-stricken man could have her heart. A street rat, former or otherwise, was still a street rat in Emma's eyes.

Plus, she could see some chemistry between Rogue and Remy. Honestly, she'd never liked the relationship between Joseph and Rogue. It seemed almost forced, like they were with each other only because of their shared bond as outcasts in the mansion. They just didn't go together all that well.

Joseph, for all his joking, was a stiff man who cared about rules and regulations. He believed in order and rarely did anything that wasn't planned beforehand. He might flirt and act childish sometimes, but Emma could tell that he only did so to impress Rogue, not because he actually felt the desire to let loose and be crazy.

Rogue...Well, she was the exact opposite. Crazy, spontaneous, flirtatious, with just enough sense to know when she needed to be serious. Rules, in her opinion, were meant to be broken.

They say opposites attract, but ask Emma and she would tell you that Rogue and Joseph were just _too_ opposite. Lust might exist between them, but it would never be anything more, no matter how hard they tried to make it seem like they were in love. Rogue and Remy only had lust for each other now too, but Emma could see a future between them, and a future was exactly what both southerners needed.

"How d'y' eat dat much, _cherie_?" Remy asked, eyeing the empty plate currently being refilled. Rogue stuck her tongue out at the brunet.

"You callin' meh fat, sugah?" she questioned teasingly, just a hint of warning in her tone. Remy flashed her a smile that caused many women to swoon and Rogue to snort in amusement.

"'Course not, _chere_, y' be very healthy in Remy's opinion. He jus' wanna know where y' pack all dat food away wit'out gainin' any extra."

"Good answah, swamp rat," Rogue told him with a smirk. "Ah happen t' work out a lot s'all."

Remy let out a whistle. "Remy would _love_ t' see y' work out sometime, _chere_."

Rogue started to retort, but Joseph wrapped his arm around her waist and snarled at Remy. Eyes blazing, he kissed the southerner almost angrily, showing the whole mansion his ownership of Rogue. Emma grimaced in distaste and wondered if Rogue would actually slap him this time or would let it slip, as she usually did, because she didn't want to lose what she'd convinced herself was a good thing.

"Unfortunately, you won't be seeing Rogue working out any place but in the Danger Room," Joseph said when he pulled away. 

Rogue looked dazed, more from shock of an unexpected action than intense pleasure, and Emma was unhappy to see her smile softly at Joseph and ignore the urge to show him just how she felt about his sudden possessive nature. She could tell Rogue had the urge too, from the way her fingers flexed and her hand clenched into a fist for a few seconds.

"Remy t'ink da _fille_ be able t' answer f'r herself, don't you?" Remy looked at Joseph challengingly, but Rogue sighed and pushed her plate away.

"Ya know boys, Ah think Ah'm gonna turn in early t'night. Ah'm not really feelin' up t' much more action. See ya'll tomorrow?"

She left the dining room without waiting for another answer. The students barely paid her any attention, the girls too busy swooning over the arguing males and everyone else forcefully ignoring the southern belle sauntering to her bedroom.

Emma waited a few minutes, tsked when she noticed Joseph and Remy glaring at each other, and quickly followed Rogue out of the room. She could tell that things would definitely heat up sometime soon if nothing was done about Rogue and Remy, Rogue and Joseph.

Despite all appearances to the contrary, Emma really did care for the few friends she had. Rogue was one of Emma's best friends, not only in the mansion either, and she wanted to see her happy. She knew Rogue would never have the kind of happiness she deserved with someone like Joseph, but she also knew that Rogue had almost convinced herself completely that what she felt for him was love.

It would take some time and hard work, but she was sure she could do something to fix this little mistake. Rogue was worth the trouble.

A/N's:

Short, yes, sorry about that. 

Does anyone know how to put accents on words in OpenOffice? I can't figure it out for the life of me. Fiancé is the only word it does any sort of accent for, at least on my computer, and I'm getting tired of typing that just for the e.


	5. Just Friends

A smile spread across her pale face as she watched Rogue and Remy joke. They were already doing half the job for her, and they didn't even realize it! Emma couldn't have hoped for a better couple to matchmake really, she could already tell it would be relatively easy getting those two together. The main problem was Joseph.

He always managed to drag Rogue away right when she and Remy were starting to move closer to each other. Emma was quite frankly tired of it all, and it didn't help that women seemed to flock to Remy like moths to a flame. He flirted around with them as well, though not quite like he did with Rogue, but Emma could see a few one-night stands in the future if she didn't do something fast.

Not that a one-night stand was a problem, there would be no relationship planned afterwards, so it would still be safe for Rogue to start something serious with Remy – Gambit, as he called himself in the Danger Room. However, Emma knew the girls in the mansion, and very few of them understood the difference between a one-night stand and true love. She wouldn't be surprised if the girls Remy ended up bedding thought there was something more between them and became clingy.

That _would_ cause a bump in her plans.

Now wasn't the time to think about things like that though. If she wanted to set up Remy and Rogue, she needed to take Joseph out of the picture. He should be her main priority. As it just so happened, Emma smirked, the professor had a very important mission he needed people for. Joseph would be perfect for the position.

232323

"I'll see you when I return," Joseph told Rogue, pulling her in for a sweet kiss.

Emma stood in the background, making gagging motions no one could see. Honestly, she hated seeing them all lovey dovey, knowing it wasn't what their hearts truly felt. Call her a hopeless romantic, but Emma believed in kissing the one you were in love with, not the one you'd convinced yourself to love.

Rogue smiled at her boyfriend, kissing his cheek once more before he turned to the Blackbird. She moved to stand next to Emma, letting out a soft sigh as Storm started the jet.

"Think you'll miss him much?" Emma asked, more to fill the silence than out of want for an actual answer. Rogue answered anyway.

"'Course Ah will!" she said a little too quickly. Emma raised a brow as she looked at the southerner, and Rogue sighed, eyes dropping to the floor. "Would ya think badly of meh if Ah said Ah'm actually sort of relieved he's leavin'?"

"Really?" Emma's eyes widened, a gleeful glint appearing in the blue orbs. She wrapped an arm over Rogue's shoulders and led her friend back inside. "Do tell."

"It's not that Ah don't love him, Ah do!" Rogue exclaimed, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself than Emma. "It's just...Joseph has been really clingy lately, an' Ah know it's because o' Remy. Ah just don't see why he thinks Ah'm gonna cheat on him when we've been togethah fo' this long an' ain't nothin' happened between meh an' anothah man!"

"That's a sign he doesn't trust you, Rogue," Emma explained wisely. "I'm not sure you should be with someone like that."

"Of course you don't think Ah should be with him, ya've been against our relationship from th' start!" Rogue smirked at the shocked expression on Emma's face. "Don't look so surprised, sugah. Ya make it kinda obvious where ya stand with Joe an' meh."

"Really?" Emma asked, more to herself than Rogue. Maybe that was why Joseph always acted like he didn't like her too much; even when he was virtually ignoring her, she had the feeling he wanted her away from Rogue. It would certainly explain a lot.

"Anyway, I still don't think it's good for you to be with him if he doesn't trust you!" Emma said, shaking away her shock. "It will only lead to heartbreak in the end."

"Ah love Joe, Em, Ah trust him. Ah guess Ah can see why he's jealous, Ah do spend a lot of time with Swampy. He's just worried."

"You're making excuses, Rogue," Emma pointed out. She knew her friend wasn't listening though, and she sighed disappointedly. "How do you feel about Gambit then, if you love Joseph so much?"

Rogue made a coughing noise low in her throat and looked at Emma in surprise. "W-what!?" she gasped, a smile slowly forming on her face. "Em, sugah, you shouldn't joke like that out of nowhere."

"I'm not joking!" Emma insisted. "It's a serious question."

Rogue's smile faded when she saw the expression on the blonde's face. Emma really was serious. It shocked and confused Rogue to no end, and for some reason she felt oddly uncomfortable thinking of an answer for what should have been an easy question.

"Th' Swamp Rat an' Ah are just friends. Ah thought that was obvious." Rogue smiled at Emma and walked ahead of her. "Ah got stuff t' do, sugah, if ya need meh, Ah'll be in th' garage."

Emma watched Rogue walk away, shaking her head at the southerner's retreating back.

"And you don't love Joseph," she muttered. "_I_ thought _that_ was obvious."

232323

Remy whistled as he walked to the garage. The mansion, fun as it was with Rogue, was becoming a bit stifling. He needed to ride around on his motorcycle, feel the wind in his hair, perhaps flirt with a few pretty girls.

Really, he would rather have Rogue riding with him, but he doubted that would happen. Not that Rogue seemed the type against motorcycles and the like, but she was in a serious relationship with that white-haired bastard and would probably feel like she was cheating on him now that he was away on a mission.

He pushed open the door that led to the garage and paused at what he saw. There, standing over the beautiful hunter green bike he'd noticed when he first arrived, was the southern belle he'd recently begun dedicating a majority of his time to. She hadn't noticed his arrival yet, he supposed, since she hadn't looked up.

Remy smiled slyly and moved behind her, intending to surprise her. However, as he found his way directly behind her, Remy realized something he hadn't before. She wasn't just standing over the bike, she was actually working on it, humming to herself in a slightly off-key voice.

"Remy didn' know y' knew y' way around a bike, _chere_!"

Rogue jumped, startled by the voice. She spun around to glare at the smirking Cajun behind her. He leaned back, against a random X-car behind him, crossing his arms to look at her.

"What're you doin' here, Cajun?" she asked, trying hard to keep her tone sharp and unhappy, but a smile broke out nonetheless, and she moved to lean against her baby in a way similar to the smirking Cajun.

"Remy t'ought he might do a li'l ridin' 'round da town, _cherie_," Remy explained. "Wasn' expectin' t' see you here. Why didn' y' tell Remy y' knew y' way 'round a bike?"

"Ya nevah asked," Rogue answered simply. She smirked. "Ridin' 'round th' town, huh? How 'bout a li'l race, Cajun? Loser buys th' winner dinner?"

"Tryin' t' get Remy on a date?" Remy asked, smirking. Rogue's smile dropped, and she started to protest, but Remy cut her off before she could make a sound. "Dat work f'r Remy. I hope y' got enough money, _chere_."

"Ah ain't tryin' t' get no one on no da—Excuse meh? Oh no, sugah, Ah think yo' th' one who's gonna need a full wallet!" Rogue shouted, forgetting her earlier protests. "Ah don't plan t' lose."

"Well, dat makes two o' us den." Remy smirked and moved to his own bike. "See y' at da finish line, _chere_."

"We'll see about that, Swampy!" Rogue shouted, pushing the button that would open the garage door before hurrying to her own bike. The door had barely opened before two motorcycles zoomed out of the manor.

Emma stood in the doorway, clicking her tongue and shaking her head. A pleased smile on her face as she watched the two race each other out the gates and down the road.

"Just friends huh? We'll see about that."

A/N's:

First of all, thank you everyone who answered my question! It was very helpful, and I really appreciate the input.

Secondly, I'm afraid that with my dwindling interest in X-men, I'm going to cut the series short. I don't plan to stop this story, I'm an avid believer in finishing stories that are started. I think I'll end the series after this one. I _may_ attempt Amyro, the fifth part, as I've wanted to do that one almost as much as the Romy, but I'm not sure. Sadly, the Iceman/Jubilee, X23/Pietro, and Cannonball/Wolfsbane I said I might attempt will _not_ be written. I _know_ I don't have enough inspiration or interest to write those pairings anymore.

I'm sorry if this story is moving a bit fast, every chapter I think of just pushes it further along rather than slowing it down.


	6. Somewhere Special

"Y' cheated, _chere_, s'an unfair advantage over Remy dat y' know da place better."

"Yo' just a sore loser, Swampy," Rogue laughed, entering the mansion before Remy. Emma perked up when she heard the voices, peeking over the couch curiously. "Ah won fair an' square."

"Only cuz Remy let y' win," Remy pointed out quickly. Rogue quirked a brow.

"First Ah cheated, now ya let meh win, sugah? Somethin' 'bout yo' story ain't addin' up."

Remy shrugged and sighed, wrapping an arm around Rogue's waist. Emma was pleased to see Rogue didn't shake it off immediately.

"Well, Remy can' say da price o' losin' is all dat bad. I t'ink I c'n handle takin' _chere_ out f'r a night on da town."

"Excuse meh? Th' bet was th' loser buys th' winner dinner, Ah didn't say nothin' 'bout no night on th' town! 'Sides, if ya don't think it's all that bad, ya obviously ain't seen how much Ah can eat."

"Oh, Remy seen it," Remy said with a look of mock-horror. "Roguey c'n definitely pack it away. Remy t'inkin' his _chere_ won' eat dat much though, not since Remy be da one payin'."

"Hah! You obviously don't know meh well enough, Swamp Rat!" Rogue laughed tauntingly. Turning, she walked up the stairs, Remy following her, voicing his newly created worry about his wallet size.

Emma chuckled as she settled back on the couch and flipped open her magazine to the page she'd left off at. The words didn't really reach her though, she was too busy thinking about the exchange she just saw. Rogue won the race, which meant Remy would be taking her out, a date that wasn't a date. Even better, Emma thought, Rogue hadn't corrected Remy when he called her _his chere_. She doubted her friend even noticed.

"This is going to be too easy!"

232323

"C'mon, Em, Ah don't need t' dress up!" Rogue protested, pushing the black knee-length dress Emma pushed in her face away. "It ain't like this is a date or somethin'! Remy's just takin' meh some place simple, no fuss no muss."

"Uh huh, if you say so..." Emma drawled, quirking a brow. She'd have to make sure she changed Remy's plans before Rogue could see him. "Look, Rogue, when was the last time you went somewhere you could dress up for?"

"Ah go out with Joe all th' time!" Rogue protested. Emma raised her other brow.

"Uh huh. I know you go out to fancy places with him, Rogue, but he barely ever takes you out unless it's a special occasion!"

"So what?" Rogue huffed, crossing her arms. "Joe an' Ah got a good thing goin' on, an' it ain't like he forgets our anniversary or anythin' big like that."

"Anniversaries are one thing," Emma pointed out. "Taking his girl out just to take her out is another thing entirely, but it's just as important in a steady relationship!"

"Like yo' one t' talk," Rogue grumbled. "You barely evah have men over."

"Only because I know what I like, and very few men around her qualify."

Rogue sighed and leaned back on her bed, eyeing her dress. She didn't plan on going anywhere special with Remy, it would feel too much like a date then. But Emma did have a point. Joseph wasn't the best when it came to taking her out on days that weren't special, and she did miss dressing up somewhat. It was always nice to pretty herself up every once in a while, but Joseph never took notice unless it was their anniversary or a birthday of some sort.

Emma grinned, seeing the contemplative look on her friend's face. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything," she said, shutting the door. Rogue didn't hear her, too busy gazing at the dress.

232323

"C'n Remy help y', _belle_?" Remy asked, leaning against his doorway and eyeing Emma curiously. He knew the blonde, had seen her around Rogue quite a bit, but he hadn't really talked to her personally. It surprised him that she would suddenly show up at his bedroom door, looking eerily serious.

"I want you to take Rogue out somewhere special," she said simply. Remy blinked, straightening his posture unconsciously as he stared at the woman.

"Come again?"

"I want you to take Rogue out somewhere special, fancy, where you have to dress in a suit and everything."

"Eh...May Remy ask why?" Remy questioned, eyeing the blonde suspiciously. He'd had his fair share of trouble with blondes, and he didn't want to go through anything like that again.

"Joseph is an idiotic bastard who doesn't deserve Rogue's affections," Emma stated bluntly. "He only takes her out on special days; he doesn't notice when she pretties herself up otherwise."

"So...Y' wan' Remy t' take Roguey somewhere special cuz da _homme_ ain't doin' his job?"

"Exactly!" Emma said. She pulled out her wallet. "I'll even give you more money for the place, just make it special."

"Well, who is Remy t' turn down free money?" he asked no one, accepting the cash Emma handed him with a smirk.

"Remember," the blonde said dangerously, "take Rogue somewhere special!"

"Right, right, Remy understand," Remy agreed, nodding. He wouldn't have taken the money from her if he didn't plan to use it on Rogue, but he decided not to tell Emma that.

"By the way," Emma spun around to face Remy once more, "don't tell her I told you to take her somewhere besides the local McDonalds."

232323

Remy felt his breath catch when he next saw Rogue. The southern belle was truly...Well, _belle_. He'd seen his share of gorgeous women, but Remy was sure none of them compared to the auburn-haired woman walking towards him.

Smirking to hide his initial shock, he held out an arm to the smaller mutant. Rogue grinned almost shyly and looped her arm with his, not sure why she suddenly agreed to get dressed up. It was worth it, though, she thought, admiring Remy's three-piece suit. The only part not fancy about his outfit was the shoes, as he wore his usual boots, but Rogue liked them better than the dress shoes Joseph was fond of anyway.

"Y' ready, _chere_?"

"Always, sugah," Rogue said, blushing lightly.

She felt odd, like she was going on a real date and not just because she won a race. Really, she should tell Remy that the whole thing was off, that he didn't need to take her anywhere. She could run upstairs, wash away the makeup she'd adorned and pull on her sweats. They could spend time talking about motorcycles or joking around, anything but go out to eat together, just the two of them.

Even if it wasn't a real date, Rogue would be cheating on Joseph in some roundabout way by doing this. She should be disgusted with herself, should call the whole thing off and not speak to Remy ever again! Yet, she found herself following him into the garage, climbing into the red convertible she agreed to let him drive this once, since going on motorcycle wasn't exactly the ideal.

Rogue should be disgusted with herself, yet she wasn't.

"So, where we goin', sugah?"

Remy smirked. "Somewhere special."


	7. Monique

"Italian?" Rogue asked softly, looking at the large restaurant Remy had pulled into. The Cajun glanced at her from the corner of his eye, taking her arm in his.

"Y' don' like Italian, _chere_?"

"S'not that, sugah," Rogue reassured. "Ah just thought ya'd be takin' us t' somethin' a li'l more...French. That does seem t' be yo' preference."

Remy smirked and moved his arm from hers to her waist. Rogue glared at the arm for a second before turning to face the grinning Cajun, moving back when she saw how close he'd brought his face to hers.

"Remy like t' be unpredictable," he said. "T'ought Roguey would pick up on dat by now."

"Oh, Ah have," she muttered. Carefully extracting the arm from her waist, she followed Remy inside the restaurant, hoping reservations weren't needed and wondering how he'd found this place when she never even knew it existed. She'd certainly been here longer than him.

"Two," Remy told the man. The waiter bowed respectfully and maneuvered through the various tables, some filled and some not. Remy wrapped his arm around Rogue's waist once again, smirking victoriously when she didn't immediately move it this time.

232323

Emma hummed to herself as she casually flung the pictures of Joseph and Rogue into a trash can. It wasn't like Rogue would be needing them for much longer.

"Well," she mumbled, taking down a beautiful diamond necklace, "at least he bought her pretty things when he did do something useful."

Emma was distracted from her admiration of the necklace when a shrill ring cut through the air. Frowning, she turned left and right, searching for the phone that could cause such a noise. The culprit, she found soon enough, was a small cell phone that must've belonged to Joseph if the plainness of the ring and color were anything to go by.

Really, she shouldn't answer the phone, especially not when Rogue wasn't around. If it was Joseph, he would want to know where Rogue was surely, and more importantly why Emma had his cell. On the other hand, he might get suspicious if the phone wasn't answered, and Emma knew Rogue couldn't lie to Joseph, at least not as well as she could lie to pretty much everyone else.

Grabbing the cell when it let out another shrill ring, Emma pressed the talk button irately. The least he could do is make the ring a little less annoying!

"Hello?"

"Hello!?" Emma growled into the phone. "If this is Joseph, you really need to get a new ring tone you bastard! It almost made me go deaf listening to your damn phone..."

"Who is this?"

Emma paused. The soft, half frightened and half angry voice on the other end most definitely wasn't Joseph's. Not unless Joe suddenly became a girl.

"This is Emma," Emma said slowly, suspiciously. "Who is this?"

"Monique," the girl said, apparently losing her fear and growing angry. "Why are you on Joey's phone!?"

"Joey?" Emma repeated, more to herself. She chuckled inwardly at the name. He'd been opposed to Joe enough when he and Rogue first started dating, she could only imagine how he would react to Joey. Emma quickly shook those thoughts away when the girl began speaking again.

"That's right! Where's my Joey? He said he would come by, but he hasn't shown up." A pause rested between them before the girl spoke again, her voice shaking as though she were about to cry. "Is he cheating on me? Are you some kind of whore or something!?"

"First of all, I am _not_ a whore!" Emma screeched, forgetting her shock at the girl's first question. "Second of all, there's nothing between _Joey_ and myself. He's out of town on important business."

"O-oh..." the girl whimpered. Emma sighed.

"Can I take a message for you, Monique was it?"

"Y-yeah..." Monique muttered. "When he gets back, can you tell him I called? And I want to know why he didn't tell me he was leaving."

"Of course," Emma said as soothingly as she could. "Goodbye."

The phone clicked, and Emma turned off Joseph's cell phone. She tossed it on the bed, simply staring at it for a moment. So, all this time, Joseph really was sleeping with those girls he flirted with.

Emma growled. How could he be such a bastard? It was true that Rogue flirted a lot herself, but she'd never dreamed of cheating on Joseph. Even now, out with Remy, she didn't consider it a real date. Yet, even before Gambit's arrival, Joseph had been sleeping around, so Emma assumed.

The revelation both pleased and angered her. On the one hand, her friend deserved better than that. On the other hand, when Rogue found out about this she would dump Joseph and move on, preferably to LeBeau, leaving Joseph out in the cold, as was Emma's hopes from the start. It could work to her advantage, but she didn't want to see Rogue heartbroken either. What could she do?

"Well..." Emma said, flopping on the bed. She glanced at the trashcan, glaring at the smiling faces of Joseph and Rogue that met her gaze. "Now I _really_ don't feel bad about trashing those pictures."


	8. Homeward Worries

Within an hour, Emma had designed the perfect plan. She wouldn't tell Rogue straight out what Joe was up too, rather she would wait until he returned before letting him kill himself. The plan made her so giddy, she almost wished Joseph would hurry and return, but of course she wanted to make sure Rogue and Remy would be a sure deal once he was out of the picture for good before he reappeared to cause any problems.

Clapping her hands together, she grinned at the phone. One day, she may have to look Monique up and thank her. Innocent though she might be, the woman had just given her an even better incentive than her own dislike to fix Rogue up with another man.

Chuckling, she all but skipped down the stairs. Of course, she didn't skip as that would be undignified, but her quick steps came close enough that the few students loitering around stopped to watch the blonde pass. They wondered what could have put her in such a good mood, then decided they probably really didn't want to know. When Emma was in a good mood, it usually meant someone she didn't like, and that was a decently sized list, was in some kind of pain or trouble.

"Now," Emma chuckled to herself, "to wait for the couple of the hour to return."

Joseph's reaction when he saw just how close the two southerners had become during his absence would be priceless, and it would be partly thanks to Emma's ingenious matchmaking skills. The blonde let out an evil cackle that had many of the older students running and the younger ones looking for a change of pants.

Yes, they really didn't want to know the cause of her suddenly good mood.

232323

"Ah cain't believe ya punched our waiter!" Rogue exclaimed, walking through the mansion's doors. It was late, past curfew for those that had one, but some of the older students, such as Emma and Logan, were still awake.

The blonde perked when she heard Rogue's voice and peeked around the corner, ignoring Logan's snort of disbelief and amusement at her actions. She was happy when they didn't return home within two hours, but she hadn't expected them to stay out so late. Emma was curious as to what had happened, and what better way to get an idea than to eavesdrop?

"An' here I thought you were above listenin' in on other's conversations," Logan mused quietly behind her. He leaned casually against the counter, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. Emma shot him a glare.

"Shh!" she reprimanded. "I'm not when it comes to matchmaking, now be quiet or get lost."

Wolverine growled at the tone she dared use on him, but he shook his head when he saw Emma was too busy watching the southern couple again to pay attention. Grumbling about nosy blondes who needed to mind their own business, he grabbed one of his hidden beers, something Chuck didn't condone but knew protesting against would be futile, and headed out of the kitchen.

"Well, he was flirtin' wit' y', _chere_! Remy can' help it if he got a li'l jealous."

"What you got t' be jealous about, Cajun?" Rogue snorted in disbelief. "It ain't like ya don't got a different girl on ya arm every time ya leave!"

"Y' be noticin' Remy wit' ot'er women, _chere_?" Remy asked slyly. "Maybe you got a li'l jealousy problem too, eh?"

"Don't flattah yourself, Cajun," Rogue said quickly, though a light blush tinted her cheeks. "Ah got Joe, remember? What do Ah care if'n ya hangin' out with othah women?"

"Remy t'ink dat's denial, Roguey." Remy grinned at the southern belle. "But if y' don' like Remy bein' wit' ot'er _femmes,_ jus' say da word. Y' know y' da only one f'r _moi_."

"Hah! Like Ah'm fallin' fo' that one!" Rogue laughed. "Anyway, Swampy, Ah told ya Ah got Joe. Ain't no reason fo' meh t' want _you_."

"Dat's cold, _chere_."

"Oi, lovebirds!" Logan interrupted, growling at the two. They turned to face him, Rogue blushing and Remy smirking at the word he'd used to describe them. Did they really look like they were in love? "Just thought ya'd like ta know, Blondie's spyin' on ya in the kitchen."

"Eh?" Rogue watched as Logan left up the stairs, turning her attention to the kitchen where a glaring Emma was spouting curses at Logan's back.

The blonde smiled sheepishly when she saw Rogue and Remy looking at her, surprise and amusement in their gazes.

"So, how was your night?"

232323

Joseph yawned as he climbed into the Blackbird. Storm was already in the driver's seat, turning on the various buttons that would start the jet. The mission had been a tough one, but now that it was over, they would finally be heading home.

It had taken all of three minutes in the air for Joseph to realize he'd left his cell phone at the manor. He couldn't ask Storm to turn around for something so meager, especially not when she had her own the students could call in case of an emergency if the professor wasn't able to contact them.

He hoped Monique or Isabelle or Janice hadn't called. Due to the professor's sudden decision to include him on a mission, he hadn't been able to tell any of the girls he would be out of town and not to call. It would kill him if they did and Rogue answered the phone, or more realistically Rogue would kill him.

She might feel like an outcast in the mansion, and Joseph might be one of the only ones that could understand her feelings of loneliness, being ostracized in a place where they should be accepted, but he knew Rogue didn't play games like that. If she found out he had another woman, much less three, on the side, she would beat him to within an inch of his life.

It was lucky the professor couldn't read his mind for unknown reasons, as he knew the old man wouldn't condone his actions any more than anyone else would. He also knew Xavier wouldn't allow him to commit such acts without Rogue finding out some way or another. He might not outright tell her what was happening, but the old man had ways about letting people know without ever saying a word, verbally or mentally.

Shrugging off his worry, Joseph decided that Rogue would have called Storm's cell phone and demanded to speak with him if something like that happened. The woman only tolerated Rogue, she knew that all too well, but an angry Rogue wouldn't care who liked her or didn't. If she was wronged, she would damn well make sure she had her revenge.

That was why she left the brotherhood, and Joseph knew if she ever found out, she would leave him too. He _couldn't_ let that happen. Rogue really did mean a lot to him, and if he lost her, Joseph wasn't sure what he would do.


	9. Emma's Plan

"Ah wonder why Emma had t' leave so soon..." Rogue mused aloud, looking at the bright, sunny sky curiously. She and the blonde had been chatting casually by the pool while sunbathing when suddenly the blonde claimed she forgot to do something important and ran off, ignoring Rogue's questioning.

"_Chere_!" Remy crowed, seeing Rogue lying by the poolside in nothing but a bikini. His eyes roved over her body, taking in all the lovely curves. No one could deny Rogue was a developed woman and certainly worth a twice-over, even a thrice-over.

"Eh, Swampy!" Rogue greeted, sitting up. She blushed when she realized he was only wearing swim trunks, a towel slung casually over his shoulder. "What're you doin' here?"

"Remy t'ought he'd take a swim, dat alright wit' you?"

Rogue snorted and laid back in her chair, closing her eyes as she pulled the sunglasses back down. She gestured in the general direction of the pool, as though she couldn't care less.

"It's a free country, ain't it?"

Remy smirked and dumped his towel in the recently vacated chair next to Rogue's. He was a bit disappointed she hadn't admired his body more, it was a blow to his ego, but he noticed the blush and felt proud of himself for the small accomplishment.

He could hardly say he was in love, as Remy didn't really understand the deep emotion. He knew it existed, thought it was a wonderful thing, it just wasn't for him. What he felt for Rogue, though, what he'd begun to feel, he thought might come pretty damn close.

Never before had a woman made him want to change his playboy ways. Sure, he still flirted with girls in bars, but there was no real interest there. Every girl he saw didn't come close to his Roguey, waiting back home for her precious Joe.

The name sent unpleasant shivers down Remy's spine. He didn't like the white-haired (because it _was_ white, however much Joseph might argue it was silver) bastard too much. It seemed obvious to him that he was the unfaithful type, the kind that you wouldn't expect capable of such a thing until it was brought to light. Remy had experience as a playboy though, and he could recognize the signs easily enough.

Personally, he was shocked Rogue didn't see it. She'd recognized him as a flirt right away, and she seemed pretty good with noticing details like that on anyone. Yet, she appeared to have no idea of Joseph's activities, and if she did have an idea, then Remy couldn't see her as one to sit idly by and let it happen.

Maybe that's why he didn't think he'd ever look at another woman, at least not with any intention of doing _more_ than looking, if he was with her. He wasn't stupid, he'd seen her punch through metal contraptions and pick up those mechanical boulders in the Danger Room. Those things had to weigh twice as much as the real thing too. Anyone who would cheat on a superstrong beauty like Rogue had to be stupid or insane.

"Ah thought ya were goin' for a swim, sugah," Rogue spoke up, breaking Remy from his reverie. He looked at her, smirking as he stretched his arms above his head.

"Well, Remy t'ought he'd give y' da chance t' admire his bod a li'l more."

Rogue raised a brow, lifting her sunglasses just enough he could see the dark emeralds she called eyes. A look of disbelief mixed with amusement warred for dominance in her gaze; she settled on amusement.

"Ah _know_ yo' jokin', Swampy. Ain't no one 'round here that wants t' see yo' ugly 'bod'."

"Remy have y' know plenty o' _femmes_ be interested in Remy's body!" Remy pouted, sounding truly indignant at the thought of being ugly.

Rogue chuckled and laid back again. "That's why Ah said no one _around here_, sugah."

Her laughter was cut short by a squeak of surprise when she felt herself being lifted. The sunglasses fell to the ground as she struggled against Remy's hold, lightly banging on his shoulders and chest.

"Let meh go!" she cried, half laughing and half shrieking indignantly. Remy merely chuckled.

"As _cherie_ wishes," he said, and dropped Rogue right into the pool.

"Ah, SWAMP RAT!" Rogue shouted, sputtering as water managed to get into her mouth. She glared up at him, though it didn't hold the same fire as when she was truly angry. "You bettah be damn glad Ah know how t' swim! What are you doin'?"

Rogue swam backwards when she saw Remy smirking at her. He stepped closer to the edge, making her more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by.

"Remy?"

And he executed a perfect backwards somersault in midair, landing with a loud splash in the pool. Rogue shrieked as more water covered her, causing her nose to burn and her throat to ache. She gasped when she felt hands on her ankles, pulling her under, and she tried to kick Remy loose.

However, not using her super strength for fear she might send him flying to his death, Rogue found herself unwillingly pulled under. She slapped him, though the water slowed her movements and kept out any sting. Remy shot her a mocking glance and swam to the surface, gasping for air.

His gasps turned into coughs when water made its way into his mouth and down his throat. He glared at the woman who'd splashed water in his direction. Rogue shot him a mocking stare and swam out of reach when he attempted to dunk her under.

"Gotta catch meh first, Swampy!"

"Oh, y' on, _cherie_!"

Emma chuckled as she watched them splash around before heading inside the mansion again. She'd give them this time to themselves. The professor just announced Storm was heading their way, and she had to prepare _Joey's_ outing. Nothing could go wrong, and soon there'd be a new southern couple in Xavier's Institute.

232323

"Who's Monique?" Rogue asked, raising a brow in Emma's direction. The blonde raised her hands in a placating manner, smiling innocently at her friend. This, of course, only set Rogue further on edge.

"Relax, Roguey, I just want to play a little game with his head!" Emma practically begged. She smirked to herself when she noticed Joseph's photographs were still in the trash bin and Rogue hadn't noticed. A good sign.

"Why would Ah help ya play a game like this on mah boyfriend?" Rogue asked suspiciously. "And since when do you call meh Roguey?"

"Sorry, your little southern _friend_ must be rubbing off on me," Emma said slyly. Rogue blushed dark red and scowled at the blonde woman.

"Remy an' Ah are just friends, Ah told ya that!"

"Hey, hey!" Emma threw her hands in front of her face, as though Rogue was about to hit her. "I didn't say you were anything more. Though, it makes me wonder about your defensiveness."

"Ah'm not defensive," Rogue mumbled, crossing her arms. "An' ya stressed the word enough it sounded like more."

"I didn't realize," Emma told her dryly. It was obvious she was lying, but Rogue didn't bother calling her on it. If Emma didn't want someone to know she was lying, then they damn well wouldn't know. She obviously didn't care either way with Rogue.

"So, why Monique?" Rogue asked curiously. "Ah mean if ya want meh t' tell Joe that some gal called fo' him, why Monique?"

"Because _Monique_ sounds _rich_," Emma explained as though that were obvious. Rogue rolled her eyes at the rather shallow explanation. Leave it to Emma to use a name just because it sounded "rich".

"Fine," Rogue grumbled in compliance. "But if Joe gets mad, it's all _yo_' idea!"

"I will take full responsibility," Emma reassured. She turned to leave the room but stopped, once again smirking in Rogue's direction. "Oh, and Rogue?"

"Yeah, Em?"

"Call him Joey at the end." Rogue shot her another suspicious look. "I just want to see his reaction is all."

Rogue sighed and nodded her agreement. Emma grinned and closed the door behind her, looking every bit like the cat that ate the canary. Inside her room, Rogue was shaking her head at the ceiling.

"Ah'll nevah understand that woman."

232323

The jet came in for a landing, and Joseph could feel his nerves straining again. What if one of the girls had called? Would Rogue be upset with him? Well, of course she would, but he had pretty much reassured himself that with time, he could convince her to forgive him. He didn't want to go through all that trouble though, not to mention the drama that would certainly follow.

Well, he was about to find out, he supposed. The door to the Blackbird opened, and he followed Storm into the underground garage of the X-mansion.

Stepping foot on the cement ground, Joseph couldn't help the smile that lit his face. He was finally home.


	10. Cheater

Joseph stepped into the hall outside of Xavier's office, yawning tiredly as he stretched. He was on his way back to his and Rogue's room, as he hadn't seen the woman at all since his arrival. He would have thought she was avoiding him, actually he had his doubts, if he didn't suspect she had no clue of his arrival. Probably that damned Cajun, he thought, keeping _his_ woman from him.

Emma passed him, a delighted smirk on her face. He stopped short, watching the blonde past slowly, and shivered at the expression on her face. He'd hate to be whoever she planned to make suffer, as that was the _only_ time she wore a smirk like _that_.

Shaking away the uneasy chills running down his spine, he pushed open his bedroom door and stepped inside. Rogue was lying on their bed, one leg curved and the other dangling over it. A magazine was open, but for some reason Joseph didn't think she was really paying attention to it. Maybe it was the upset pout on her face.

"Rogue, I'm back," he announced in case she hadn't heard his entrance.

Rogue didn't jump or even look startled, instead she calmly placed the magazine on the bed and sat up. She uncrossed her legs as she stood, slowly moving towards him. Joseph frowned, his nerves returning full force at the expression on Rogue's face.

Meanwhile, Rogue was beginning to feel guilty. She could see Joseph growing more nervous by the minute, and she wanted to reassure him she wasn't really angry. She'd told Emma she would play this little joke on him though, and Rogue wasn't one to go back on her word – especially not when it involved a prank of some kind.

"Ya had a phone call while you were away, sugah," Rogue said, tossing his cell phone up and down casually. Joseph gulped and backed away, his back hitting the door and stopping his escape.

"W-who..." he breathed deeply, silently commanding himself to calm down. Maybe it wasn't what he thought. "Who was it?"

"Moni_que_," Rogue said, tongue clicking disapprovingly on the -que. She glared at Joseph who'd grown impossibly pale at the name. Something wasn't right, Rogue thought. Joseph shouldn't be looking like _this_!

"R-Rogue, I-I..." he trailed off. Rogue backed away, crossing her arms as she tapped her foot impatiently.

"Ah don't have time fo' this, _Joey_!" she snarled, moving forward as though to push past him.

Joseph broke at that point. There was no way it could be anyone else, as he'd never let anyone but Monique call him Joey. He didn't even want her to call him that hated name, but she was persistent and continued to do so despite all protests.

"Rogue, I'm so sorry!" he cried, dropping to her knees and grabbing her hand in both of his. "She means nothing to me, I swear! It's not what you think!"

"Wha-?" Rogue frowned and looked at her boyfriend. The confusion only lasted a few minutes before realization dawned in her eyes. "Ya mean there really _is_ a Monique!?"

"W-what?" Joseph stuttered, slowly rising to his feet. "What do you mean 'there really is a Monique'? Didn't you just say she called? You even called me Jo--"

"Emma wanted t' mess with ya head, ya slimy bastard!" Rogue shouted, crushing his cell phone with her strength. She forgot she was holding it, and only Joseph seemed to notice the whining crack it gave as it splintered into little pieces of metal and wire.

"My phone!" he cried, looking at the expensive piece, or rather pieces, his phone now was. "That cost me a fort--"

"Don't you go talkin' 'bout ya phone at a time like this!" Rogue yelled. She didn't care if everyone could hear her, she wanted answers. "Is Monique a real person!?"

"I-I-I was going to tell you about her!" Joseph insisted, backing away from his angry girlfriend.

Rogue stood stunned, hurt filling her green orbs as she let the small bits of the former cell phone fall from her hand. She...couldn't believe it. He was...He had...Joseph cheated on her!?

"Rogue...?" Joseph called tentatively, stepping towards the other mutant.

She snarled then, anger gripping every fibre of her being. Joseph had only enough time to yelp in pain and fear as he was lifted off the ground by his collar and thrown through the bedroom door. Literally, _through_ the door.

"Ya _sonuvabitch_!" Rogue cried, jumping on top of him as she began to punch – minding her strength enough that she didn't punch _through_ his head – her ex-boyfriend repeatedly. "Ya lyin', cheatin' scumbag!"

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Someone get the professor! I think Rogue's lost it completely!"

"Figures this would happen."

If she heard the whispers, Rogue paid no attention. She also paid no attention to the hands attempting to push her off of Joseph, except to push them away from her. Almost against her will, she began to calm and slowly stood and moved away from Joseph.

His face was bloody, his nose most likely broken, and he had a black eye. Nothing that would cause permanent damage though, unfortunately.

"Roguey, y' alright?" Remy asked, pulling the girl to his chest. He'd arrived when he heard the worried shouts and used his empathy to send calming waves to Rogue. He could feel the hurt and anger pouring off her in waves, and he knew whatever Joseph had done, he deserved what Rogue gave him. "Wha' happened?"

"He-he..." Rogue couldn't even finish the statement. She merely sagged in Remy's arms, letting him hold her while the professor wheeled his way to the scene of the crime.

"What is going on here?" he demanded, his eyes flickering from Rogue to Joseph's body. He couldn't read either mind, so he would have to go by what he heard from the two – well, from what he heard from Rogue at the moment. Joseph appeared to be unconscious, or at least on the verge of becoming unconscious.

"He cheated on her, and she just found out, Charles."

The students turned to stare at the blonde now standing behind the professor. He also turned to look at Emma as she walked to his side and placed a comforting hand on Rogue's shoulder.

"I'm afraid this is my fault. I wanted her to find out for herself, so I told her that I wanted to play with his head a little. I had no idea the reaction would be this violent. You can't read their minds, but you can read mine. It'll tell you all you need to know."

"Yes..." Xavier mused, closing his eyes and placing two fingers to his temples. He sighed when he reopened his eyes and gestured for Wolverine and Storm to pick up Joseph's body. "Move him to the infirmary. It's nothing permanent, he'll heal with time. Emma, next time you decide to do something like this, please, for all our sakes, don't."

"Right," Emma said with a slightly guilty smile. She didn't feel bad about what had happened, that much was obvious to anyone, but she at least attempted to look apologetic. Xavier shook his head and wheeled away, leaving the students to look between the spot where Joseph had been and the limp Rogue.

A few girls moved towards the older woman, patting her hand comfortingly as they whispered words of condolence. They didn't like the woman much better than before, but nobody deserved to be done like that, except those that acted like sluts of course. Joseph, in their minds, had it coming.

Seeing the way the girls were acting towards Rogue, and what had happened when Joseph was caught, many of the boys quickly decided never to cheat on their girlfriends. In fact, they decided, running to their rooms, they would call and take them out right now! Just to prove their love for them.

"I really am sorry," Emma whispered, placing her hand on Rogue's shoulder. The southerner smiled sadly at her and nodded. "I didn't think you'd believe me if I told you, so I..."

"It's alright," Rogue reassured, though her heart wasn't in the words. She sighed and leaned back against Remy, who began to walk her away from the hall. Emma watched them go.

"Y' need rest, _chere_. Dis has been a tirin' day f'r y'."

It was worth it, the blonde told herself silently. In the name of matchmaking, all risks and pains were worth it. Now, Remy would comfort Rogue, and it would all end well. So long as Joseph got his act together or left the manor completely.

Another smirk wormed its way on Emma's face. Yes, she could definitely see him leaving in the near future, especially since all the girls now knew he was a cheating scumbag. Thank you, Monique!


	11. Epilogue

"So, how did everything end?" Scott asked curiously, one arm wrapped around Jean while he watched Emma intently. The blonde chuckled but said nothing, merely gesturing for them to follow her.

The couple walked downstairs after the older mutant, looking into the kitchen where she was pointing. Rogue and Remy were laughing about something, the former occasionally punching Remy's shoulder playfully. He laughed as well and dangled a twizzler in front of her face, to which Rogue jokingly bit at the red treat but glared when it was pulled away.

"Bastard!" she cried, punching him again. The wince Remy gave showed she'd used a bit too much strength that time.

"Ow! _Chere_, y' really gotta learn t' watch dat strength."

"Sorry, sugah!" Rogue apologized, kissing his cheek. Remy sighed and wrapped an arm around Rogue's waist, smiling contentedly.

"S'alright, _chere_, y'll make it up t' Remy later."

"Hah! Says who, Swampy?" Rogue asked mock-disbelieving. Remy pouted then, a hurt look crossing his face.

"_Quoi_? Y' jus' gon' hurt Remy an' not try t' make up f'r it?"

"Looks that way, don't it?" Rogue replied with a straight face. It lasted all of five seconds before she smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Ah, ya'll know Ah cain't resist ya when ya poutin'."

"Remy know, _chere_," he said, leaning down to kiss her. "Why y' t'ink I do it?"

Emma turned to the two and smirked. "How do you think it turned out?"

"What about Joseph?" Jean asked softly as they moved away to give the southerners some time alone. "I remember some of what you said, but was that why he left?"

"Well," Emma smirked slyly, "let's just say, Monique wasn't too happy when I appeared on her doorstep with the news of what happened to Joseph and his why it happened. Come to think of it," Emma chuckled, remembering something from a past time, "Janice and Isabelle weren't too happy either."

"Huh? How did you find out about them?" Scott and Jean asked in unison.

"Ah-ah-ah," Emma tsked, removing Jean from Scott's arm so she could latch on. Jean glared, feeling her jealousy return full force. "That's a different story entirely."

A/N's:

I really expected...more to this story. I did intend for it to be longer than this, but I just felt like...here was the place to end it. If it will make everyone happier, I've decided to do the Amyro story, and that will be the one that gives Rogue her first taste in matchmaking. However, I can't tell you when that story will come out, and it will probably be more for humor than an actual plot, just something to bring smiles - I hope anyway - before the series ends completely.


End file.
